Midlands Puzzle Party (MPP)

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Paradox
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Midlands Puzzle Party (MPP)

Post by Paradox » April 3rd, 2013, 10:21 am

I know it's a long time past, but I've finally gotten around to uploading my few photos from the last MPP (9) to my Flickr Photo Gallery.

They can be found here: MPP9 - Oli's Flickr Photo Gallery

And this has to be one of my favourites...

Image
Karakuri Family Photo by Puzzleparadox, on Flickr

What a picture! :shock:

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Pio2001
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Re: Midlands Puzzle Party (MPP)

Post by Pio2001 » April 3rd, 2013, 12:06 pm

Thank you for these very nice pictures, Oli.

What are the 3 18-piece printed puzzles in Steve's table ? In an article about the MPP, it was said that they were recently published. I guess that they might be Barones, Excelsior and Supernova. Three very similar designs.
But maybe there is a different one in the lot ? The very different high level 18-piece burrs are Century (Krijnen, level 100), and Muff (Eyckmans, level 93).

It seems that a blue piece is damaged on the bottom one. Did it happen when the puzzle was used ? Were the pieces too thin ?

...and Robert Yarger's boxes... and the ghost cubes... Image

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Re: Midlands Puzzle Party (MPP)

Post by Kev1n » April 4th, 2013, 8:53 am

Hi Guillaume,

Steve made several copies of Supernova for distribution at the MPP and I think they were all laid out on the table. I received mine in pieces which made for a fun time putting it into Burrtools and then assembling it. There was absolutely no chance I'd be able to do it myself!

I enjoyed it so much I got another copy in wood from Jack Krijnen. So far I have singularly failed to dismantle it by myself. There's just too many possible moves!! I reckon that it will end up like Tiros and remain unsolved on my display shelves. Of course I need more of this type of puzzle to practice on, but maybe not quite so difficult!!
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Pio2001
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Re: Midlands Puzzle Party (MPP)

Post by Pio2001 » April 4th, 2013, 12:00 pm

Hi Kevin,
Supernova is indeed too difficult to be assembled from scratch. The disassembling itself is extremely difficult, but interesting. In fact, it is a good follow-up for the Tiros after which it is based. Once you know the solution of Tiros, you can start Supernova and enjoy finding the new features.
Kev1n wrote:Of course I need more of this type of puzzle to practice on, but maybe not quite so difficult!!
What about the Nickel Box ? It is very difficult too. Did you manage to open it ?

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Re: Midlands Puzzle Party (MPP)

Post by Kev1n » April 4th, 2013, 1:11 pm

Hi Guillaume, yes I did solve Nickel box. It took me about 3 weeks in total! I got seriously stuck at one point but found it by accident in the end. I am currently struggling with congestion - it is much harder as there are so many degrees of freedom! I hope it is solvable without Burrtools!

I have given up on Tiros - I got about 100 moves in and couldn't get any further! It's been on the shelf for a year! I should probably get some easier ones first and maybe try again later?

My other problem is I keep getting sidetracked by other puzzles that come out!
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Kev

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Pio2001
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Re: Midlands Puzzle Party (MPP)

Post by Pio2001 » April 4th, 2013, 10:52 pm

Kev1n wrote:I did solve Nickel box. It took me about 3 weeks in total! I got seriously stuck at one point but found it by accident in the end. I am currently struggling with congestion - it is much harder as there are so many degrees of freedom! I hope it is solvable without Burrtools!
I personnaly found about the same amount of freedom in both. Congestion is indeed more difficult, but mostly because it is longer to solve.
I advise you to note carefully the position and orientation of each piece in the puzzle as you get them out. I don't think that it is possible to find it otherwise. The aluminium dowels are more permissive than the ones of the Nickel Box.
I did so, and even knowing where they had to go, I was not capable of getting 4 pieces into the box ! In fact I could get 4 pieces in, but I knew they were not the ones to get in first. I had to use Burrtools.
Kev1n wrote:I have given up on Tiros - I got about 100 moves in and couldn't get any further! It's been on the shelf for a year! I should probably get some easier ones first and maybe try again later?
I don't know many easier equivalent to Tiros. There is Condor's Peeper, but it is no more available.
Anyway, if you can solve the Nickel Box, you are perfectly trained for any high level burr.

I too find that there is a difficult part in Tiros around move 100. In fact, moves 90 to 120 are the most confusing for me, because I don't see any clear goal. It seems to turn into circles, while for Aaron, the Tiros is most confusing around moves 130 to 150.

I advise you to check the move number 101 to 102 in Burrtools : I had an early prototype where this move was very difficult to perform because the puzzle was too tight, and there is no way to guess that it is possible, as it is a move never performed before, and everything happens inside the puzzle, where we can't look.

If you failed to solve Tiros, for Supernova, my advice would be to completely disassemble and reassemble Tiros first, following the solution, as a warm-up.
In fact, I just removed the first piece of both Tiros and Supernova in parallel, and I confirm than everything that you do in Tiros must also be performed in Supernova... except that it is either harder, or there is something new in addition :twisted:
The only thing present in Tiros that is not in Supernova is the optionnal shortcut to remove the second and third pieces.

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Re: Midlands Puzzle Party (MPP)

Post by Alimorris » April 18th, 2013, 9:20 pm

I'm looking forward to seeing a few of you guys at MPP this Saturday.

I'm just going to start packing a few bits to bring with me.

I've also just remembered that Louis has asked us to bring a Revomaze with us. Just a reminder to you all.
Push, pull, twist, slide...........open! :)

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Re: Midlands Puzzle Party (MPP)

Post by bluesign2k » April 18th, 2013, 10:40 pm

Ah, I'd forgotten about Louis' challenge. I'll bring a blue and maybe the black I think.
I still haven't got around to packing anything yet puzzle yet though :roll:

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Paradox
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Re: Midlands Puzzle Party (MPP)

Post by Paradox » April 19th, 2013, 10:59 am

I'll pack my Red in the clear sleeve then. :lol:

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Re: Midlands Puzzle Party (MPP)

Post by TheWaddler » April 19th, 2013, 11:40 am

Paradox wrote:I'll pack my Red in the clear sleeve then. :lol:
He said no clear sleeves ;)

I'm bringing my Bronze and Blue, (I'll choose the best for the occasion) and then Silver for Rich to have a go at the canyon for me ;) (still no cigar :( )

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